‘‘I am amazed

at the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi skills I have mastered in such a short period of time. I belong to a hālau hula here in Canada, and having this opportunity to learn the Hawaiian language to enhance my hula is wonderful. Mahalo nui loa!” -Niuolahiki Teacher-directed Student

“A fantastic online

“A self-directed

online language program is so helpful in developing skills and retaining important concepts. Having access to the information gives numerous opportunities to review, practice and gain competency. The handouts, audio/video recordings, and self-paced learning and testing provide a relaxed challenging context for growth and mastery.” -Niuolahiki Self-directed Student

“Although I’ve been

exposed to the language all my life and even have had limited conversations in the language, this first lesson (of this program) explained the hows and whys and opened a huge window for me.” -Niuolahiki Self-directed Student

“As I improve

my vocabulary and get deeper into the lessons, I find a greater appreciation for the beauty of the language and itʻs depths. It is challenging, but very rewarding.” -Niuolahiki Self-directed Student

“Great

teachers, great support staff.” -Niuolahiki Teacher-directed Student

“ʻOi aku ka nui

“I am so very

excited to have begun learning Hawaiian Language. I am part Hawaiian so this is a deeply satisfying personal goal of mine, being of Hawaiian ancestry and a young adult living in Hawaiʻi during the 21st century, when everything here in Hawaiʻi is very much so Westernized, and as we speak, the times are continuing to change with the latest inventions in technology, such as the internet and computers, it’s nice to be able to have access and learn with all these new tools. And it’s also nice to see that the Hawaiian language is “Keeping up with the Joneses.” From my mokuna and haʻawina I am still very intrigued at how specific the rules of Hawaiian Language are and how actually complex they can be, and all of this to me is a natural indicator that our ancestors and kūpuna were greatly, greatly akamai in preserving and constructing a language all their own, that is still so very alive today! ʻĀ ʻoia! E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi!” -Mona O., Hilo, HI., Niuolahiki self-directed Student

“I don’t think

I have ever felt so inspired by my Hawaiian culture until I enrolled in this class--Niuolahiki. For so long I have searched for that one thing that makes me feel so proud of my Hawaiian heritage and I found it. Thank you ʻAha Pūnana Leo for creating this program and offering it to those kānaka ma ka ʻāina ʻē. Nothing has made me more proud to be Hawaiian than to learn the language of my ancestors. Since my first class, the Hawaiian language has become a part of my every day life. I find ways to incorporate it into my home life and I enjoy practicing with my children. I can teach them what I have learned and give them a stronger foundation of the Hawaiian culture than what I had growing up. The language is the source and I will pass that on to my keiki. ʻO ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ke kumu o ka poʻe Hawaiʻi a pono au e hāʻawi aku i ka ʻiʻini loa i kuʻu mau keiki e holomua ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. He kuleana kēia noʻu iho.” -Niuolahiki Teacher-directed Student

“I enjoyed studying

the Hawaiian language very much. It was a great experience. I would recommend (Niuolahiki) to my friends if they have a passion like I have.” -Niuolahiki Self-directed Student